Highlights of Trip

A challenging Trek to Mustang by crossing five passes over 5000 meters in stunning landscapes

Introduction of Nepal, its culture and traditions

Sightseeing of the UNESCO world heritage sites in Kathmandu

Superior hotels in Kathmandu

Stunning mountain flights

Great Himalayan experience off-the beaten tracks

Crossing of five passes above 5000 meters with stunning panoramic views on the Himalayan ranges

Discovery of the holy Phoksendu lake

High altitude vegetation and yak herds sceneries

Real camping experience at high altitude

Importance placed on high quality organization, staff, equipment and services to a small team of maximum 6 trekkers.

Trip Overview

“Crystal Peak or Junior Kailash” trekking is another name for this Dolpo trek. A link with Tibet since centuries. One of the most exotic, mystical and challenging trekking route in Nepal. It has stunning views of several of the highest peaks in the Himalaya. One of them being the impressive massif of Mount Dhaulagiri. And further Mount Kanjiroba, Putha Himchuli and the Annapurna range.A discovery of the traditions of the Tibetan people. They are living in their settlements with limited cultivation and keeping some yaks, goats and sheep. Upper Dolpo is situated in the western part of the Nepal, south of the Tibetan plateau, and is also part of the largest national park in Nepal. Dolpo was nicely highlighted in Eric Vallis famous movie “Caravan”, which was nominated with an Oscar as best film in foreign language.

Mystical trek Route: Dolpo Trek to Mustang

WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS proposes this off the beaten-track trekking by starting from the Upper Dolpo to Mustang. Unique dot barren landscapes. Crossing of five Himalayan passes above 5000 meters. Deep canyons under a velvet blue sky. And last but not least, the great Phoksendu lake. During this WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS’ Dolpo Trek you discover not only the rich ecological diversity of the different vegetation and the colourful monastic artistic treasures. But also the famous Himalayan yak herds, the traditional mountain blue sheep and the Himalayan Vulture. And maybe with some chance the snow leopard!

WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS proposes to start this Dolpo Trek by flying from Kathmandu to Juphal above the lusty forest and vegetation of the Himalayan hills. Our Trekking follows then the Tholoberi Khola river and passes through the cultivated fields of the Dunai and Chhepka regions. The trail gets more challenging as getting higher in the altitude. Stunning snow-capped mountains, beautiful approach to the hollistic Phoksindu Lake surrounded by the high-altitude settlements of Seldang, Tenji, Charka. Gradually, we then descent to Mustang from where we take the next day a 25-minute flight to Pokhara. The flight itself is worth with its splendid views on the whole Annapurna range and the massif of Dhaulagiri.

1 night in a superior hotel in Pokhara, on a sharing basis, including breakfast and dinner. Please be aware that additional charges occur for single room (upon request)

Tented accommodation during the trekking on a sharing basis

All major meals during trekking

All necessary trained and experienced WYE Team: Trekking Guide, Assistant Guide (depending on the number of participants), Porters, including their salary, insurance, transportation, food and lodging

All necessary trekking and national park permits

The technical equipment to secure the passes, if necessary

Travel and rescue arrangements

Communication device in case of emergency

First aid kit with oxygen, mask and regulator in case of emergency

Weather reports

Solar lights for camping and charging

Warm sleeping bag and down jacket provided for the duration of this Trek

All government and local taxes

*Please note that WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS reserves its right to adapt the prices for the flights, in case of price fluctuation of the air taxes.

Price Excludes

International airfare to and from Kathmandu*

Nepal entry Visa fee

Excess baggage charges for the international and domestic flights

Lunches in Kathmandu and Pokhara

Travel cancellation and rescue insurance

Personal expenses and individual beverages

Tips

Any other expense that is not included in the quoted price

*Contact us for the booking of your international flight.

Logistics

WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS' TREKKING PHILOSOPHY

WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS is focusing on group sizes of 4 to 6 participants only for its Dolpo Trek because our experience have found this to be the best way to have a successful trip while providing excellent services. Furthermore, it creates a pleasant ambiance within the Group, including an exchange of cultures and traditions with our local Team.

Last but not least, WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS’ focus on small groups permits more flexibility and support to the participants individually.

ACCOMMODATION & MEALS

Kathmandu: we stay at Tibet International and Yak & Yeti hotels on a sharing basis, including breakfasts. Depending on availability, single rooms can be booked upon request at an additional cost. All dinners are served in excellent restaurants in town where you can enjoy various types of cuisine, from the typical Nepali, Thai, and even steaks and Italian meals. Each restaurant has been screened by WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS representatives to ensure that it is of suitable quality for our guests.

During our Campsite Trekking: according to our itinerary, at some specific defined places, we settle a campsite and enjoy the meals prepared by our Kitchen Team. The tents are provided by WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS on a sharing basis. Each member has to bring his/her own sleeping bag, we provide you a individual mattress and a thin isolation mattress for entire sleeping tent.
Considering the roughness of the landscape and the hygienic conditions, WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS provides the Group with its own kitchen tent, sleeping tents, dining tent and toilet tent with the necessary staff to serve us delicious dishes and drinks. You can enjoy espresso coffee, a selection of teas, as well as Italian, Tibetan and local cuisines. Packages lunch are given on some days. For our clients’ convenience, considering the remoteness of the region, WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS provides the lightening for the dining and kitchen tents and solar batteries charging facilities at disposal of the participants.

In some places, we stay in the lodges (small traditional mountain guesthouses) that are recommended by WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS as per defined itinerary destination. Please be aware that single rooms are not available.

Many lodges serve a variety of cuisines such as continental, Indian, Tibetan and local cooking. Please note that the beverages are on each participant’s own charge, except coffee and the selection of teas that are served for breakfast and in the afternoons upon your arrival, as well as some special snacks provided by WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS.

SAFETY FEATURES

Your safety is of supreme concern while traveling with WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS. In case of emergency, the Group has a four (4)-litre oxygen bottle with a mask and regulator, along with a first aid kit and a 24-hour medical assistance by a high altitude medical team of doctors.

Our Trekking Guide is also equipped with communication means, only to be used in emergencies. WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS is associated with the rescue and national helicopter rescue airlines.

In order to minimise risks, in particular during the crossing of the higher passes, weather forecasts are provided to our Trekking Guide on a regularly basis.

Depending on the difficulty of some itineraries, our Trekking Guide and Assistant Guide will secure the route using the necessary technical gear, if needed.

Please note that the above-mentioned itinerary information is purely indicative and can likely be modified during the course of the trekking by our Trekking Guide, who has the authority to make such changes if it is deemed necessary (due to safety concerns, etc.). Every effort will be made to keep to the scheduled itinerary; however, as this is an adventure travel in remote mountain regions and at high altitude, we are not able to fully guarantee it as it is necessary to take into consideration each situation as it occurs and consequently to adapt the program in its best way. Elements such as weather conditions, health conditions of a group member, unexpected natural disasters, among others, can all contribute to changes in the scheduled itinerary.

Our Trekking Guide will try to ensure that the trekking runs according to the foreseen plan to the benefit of all the participants, but we thank you to be prepared to some flexibility and comprehension if so required.

Please check the degrees of difficulty while choosing a trekking Trip with WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS. The majority of the itineraries proposed in our trekking programs are in remote areas of the Himalaya and at high altitude, mostly higher than the Alps. A good physical condition is necessary to appreciate the whole richness of this adventure.

OUR WILD YAK TEAM

The success of this Dolpo Trek depends on both the personal condition of each participant and the experience of our Team. WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS’ Team has been carefully selected according to their experience in the specific environment and personal aptitudes. Our Team is thus highly experienced, skilled, trained, courteous and helpful.

WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS’ is proud to support our local staff by providing them with a fair salary, encouraging them to take mountaineering workshops, wilderness first aid training, environmental preservation courses, garbage management, team leadership, and language refreshers on a regular basis.

Our Trekking Guide and his role:WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS’ Trekking Guide is a professional government-trained guide with experience in guiding and trekking around the Himalaya, including first aid training and deep knowledge about the local flora, fauna and general environment preservation. Our Trekking Guide leads you all the way through the trekking and across the passes, while giving you interesting information about the mountains, culture, traditions and landscapes. He will help as an interpreter with the local populations. He is ensuring your safety and is checking your needs throughout the trail, and to the top of the pass, monitoring symptoms of high altitude sickness. Our Trekking Guide plays a vital role in taking care of our member's needs, supervising the Group and porters, and assuring the safety requirements. He also makes sure that the rubbish is properly managed and the trail is kept clean throughout the whole trekking. WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS will be frequently informed about the Group during the entire trekking.

Our Assistant guide: has also a government licence but must work as an assistant guide during some time in order to become a company approved guide. He assists our Trekking Guide with all major duties, ensuring the safety and checking that the performance of the Group runs smoothly.

Our Kitchen Team: plays a vital role during the entire Expedition. WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS' Cooks are specialized, experienced and trained in outdoor cooking at high altitudes, respecting the fundamental principles of hygiene and proper management of the base camp and its surroundings. The Cook's role is also to manage the Base Camp in the absence of the Leader/Sherpa Team. Different types of cuisine and bakeries are served during the climbing period. Our Kitchen Team ensures also that the garbage is properly managed and the campsite is kept clean after its use.

Our Porters: WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS has it own reliable porters. It is their responsibility to carry your luggage during the trekking with proper handling standards.

WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS is very concerned about the porters. We support and respect the porters’ rights and have high standards to make sure that they are treated well. We pay them a fair salary, including a bonus and providing them with good food allowances, clothes, shoes, sunglasses and insurances.

Grade

Pre-Training before Trek

Trekking is good for everyone! A daily walk in a beautiful landscape with a consumption of significant volumes of water, chatting with local people and understanding the culture, observing your body limits, all combine to make many healthier your body and mind than they ever have been before.

Before you embark for our Dolpo Trek, WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS recommends a regular aerobic exercise including some stretching exercises for a couple of hours per week. Ideally you should concentrate on cardiovascular fitness, building an excellent stamina and undertake a bit of strength training to be more efficient in the mountains. It is worth to go for at least once a week for a 3 to 4 hour hike, which familiarises already your body to sustain the long-time effort in the Himalaya. The fitter you are, the faster and more easily you will get the trail, acclimatise and enjoy the trekking days.

TREKKING GRADES

WILD YAK EXPEDITIONS proposes a simple grading system that gives you a first idea of the difficulties of the Trekking for which you might apply and enables you to determine which is the best for you.

DOLPO TREK: Hard

A trekking with the grade “hard” implies the following factors:

An altitude up to 6000 m above sea level

An average trail inclination of about 30%-60% with some sections that may be loose, sandy, with gravel grounds and boulders, icy, snowy and to be done by abseiling

An average of 400 to 1000 elevation ascent a day (especially while crossing the passes)

Confident to walk on glacier moraines and glaciers covered with snow

The trail may be rough paved, need to fix a rope, be loose dirt, slippery, in a landslide area, icy and snowy. At some places, you might need the help of your hands and be strongly assisted by a partner/guide

The aptitude to walk 8-12 hours per day especially while crossing the passes

To be confident to cross a river

It requires the subsequent skills from each participant:

The need to have a basic mountaineering knowledge, as glacier walk, crampon and ice axe use

The knowledge of repelling down oneself

A very good stamina; the capacity to walk during several hours at a sustained walking pace for a few days in a row in a high altitude environment

You are familiar with assessing obstacles and hazards along the trail, walk confident in difficult terrain